Govt to table Telangana Bill in Parliament session starting Feb 5

Sushilkumar Shinde has already declared the Central government's intention to table the Telangana bill in the next session of Parliament.

This will be the last session of Parliament before the tenure of the UPA-II comes to an end.

The Centre will table the Telangana Bill in the coming session of Parliament beginning February 5, notwithstanding Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s request for more time to discuss the separate statehood legislation in the state Assembly.

As the decision of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, either way, is not mandatory, the Central government will go ahead with its decision to create Telangana by tabling the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill in the ensuing Parliament session, official sources said.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has already declared the Central government’s intention to table the Telangana bill in the next session of Parliament. “We are clear in our mind that the Telangana bill will be brought in this session of Parliament. It is a commitment we have made,” Shinde had said.

Parliament session commences on February five and is scheduled to end on February 21. This will be the last session of Parliament before the tenure of the UPA-II comes to an end.

Reddy’s letter to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking extension of the deadline for discussing and returning the statehood Bill has been termed by Home Ministry officials as time buying tactic of the Chief Minister. The GoM, set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, is likely to meet on February 4 to articulate the government’s view for recommending to President Pranab Mukherjee the next course of action.

The Chief Minister had on Tuesday written to the President seeking extension of the January 30 deadline during which the Andhra Pradesh Assembly will have to discuss and return the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill to the Central government with or without its view.